Music Man Honoured - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: Music Man Honoured – RAYLEIGH and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, joined a celebratory evening at the Saxon Hall Masonic Centre near Southend Airport on, as The Music Man Project was honoured with the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).

Music Man Honoured - RAYLEIGH and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, joined a celebratory evening at the Saxon Hall Masonic Centre near Southend Airport on, as The Music Man Project was honoured with the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).

RAYLEIGH and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, joined a celebratory evening at the Saxon Hall Masonic Centre near Southend Airport on, as The Music Man Project was honoured with the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).

The award, often described as the “charities’ MBE,” was presented by the Deputy Lieutenant of Essex in recognition of the organisation’s exceptional contribution to the charitable and voluntary sector.

Founded by David Stanley BEM, The Music Man Project is a multi-award-winning music education charity for people with learning disabilities. Based in Southend, the group has performed on national television, twice at the Royal Albert Hall, the London Palladium, and has even recorded with His Majesty’s Combined Bands of the Royal Marines.

The event was also attended by Labour MP for Southend West, David Burton-Sampson, alongside former MPs Penny Mordaunt and Anna Firth, both of whom are patrons of The Music Man Project. All four speakers paid tribute to the charity’s outstanding achievements and its transformative impact on the lives of those it supports.

A particularly poignant moment of the evening came when organisers played a video of the late Sir David Amess MP, a passionate supporter of The Music Man Project, congratulating the group on their debut performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Sir David had long championed the charity’s ambition to perform in New York on Broadway, and a fundraising appeal has now been launched to make this dream a reality. More details can be found at www.themusicmanproject.com.

Commenting after the event, Mr Francois said: “It was a privilege to be part of such a warm and heartfelt evening.

“The Music Man Project continues to inspire and uplift through the power of music, and this well-deserved recognition is a testament to their incredible work. I wish them every success for the future.”

Picture: Mark Francois MP pictured alongside former MPs Penny Mordaunt and Anna Firth

at a recent celebratory evening for the Music Man Project.

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